jamie shard Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 Yeah, I know everyone is out there catching the big'uns now... But I'm already thinking about next year and -- as I'm getting ready to order materials for this winter's fly tying -- I'm curious about what worked for folks this year. This year I didn't get out nearly as often as I wanted. But now I'm living out in the western burbs so my 1.5 hour drive to streams is now a 30 minute drive! Due to the limited size of my data set, all I can say is: Clean-ish water: chart over white clouser, black over grey over white (rapala) clouser Dirty water: gold-ish sparkleminnow : gold bead head, spun gold/sand angel hair and tan tail Now, in the hunt for big bronze: I'm throwing a basic clouser weighted, black rabbit strip thing. I call it a dumb bunny for lack of a better term. How about you? -jamie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted November 13, 2006 Report Share Posted November 13, 2006 My confidence flies this year ( my first really fly fishing) were my own foam popper on top and a clouser otherwise. I tie the clouser with bead chain eyes instead of lead. They cast a heck of a lot easier, and my river is fairly shallow so as not to need to get down real fast. I gained confidence in the clouser (and my casting) pretty late this year, so I'm really pumped for next year. I may never use the spinning gear again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rich mc Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 i used more plastics than flies this year. my best fly was the m and m [#10 bead chain clouser], whitesparkle minnow and the worm fly. jaime, are you coming to the wheaton fly tying night ? rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie shard Posted November 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 i used more plastics than flies this year. my best fly was the m and m [#10 bead chain clouser], whitesparkle minnow and the worm fly. jaime, are you coming to the wheaton fly tying night ? rich Whoa, it's in wheaton?!? Details please! What material are you spinning for the white sparkle minnow? I've been using a shenk minnow (spun rabbit) for my "white" minnows. -j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aloomens Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 Check out the posts in the BassBugger Events forum. For times and directions, check out the post titled: "4th Monday Fly Tying Sessions, The details that don't change month to month" NOTE: The tying meetings have been changed to the third Monday of every month. Whoa, it's in wheaton?!? Details please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aloomens Posted November 14, 2006 Report Share Posted November 14, 2006 This year I didn't get out nearly as often as I wanted. I hear you on that! When I look back, it seems like I only got out a few times this season. Where does the time go? Anyway, I've had the most success with a Clouser pattern, very similar to the Baby Bass Clouser. I've caught smallmouth on it, also Walleye and white bass. Had some success with an all white Clouser too. I've tied on a black Clouser a few times, and didn't catch anything with it. I've also used a small white feather jig and caught smallmouth and some nice stream bluegill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skjordan Posted November 15, 2006 Report Share Posted November 15, 2006 I've had the most success with a Clouser pattern, very similar to the Baby Bass Clouser. I've caught smallmouth on it, also Walleye and white bass. Had some success with an all white Clouser too. I've tied on a black Clouser a few times, and didn't catch anything with it. I have to start using a Clouser, I have never caught anything on one so my confidence level in them is real low. I will work on that next season. My go to fly is the Holshlag hackle fly, olive color, it caught the most fish this year but the Hairy Fodder caught the largest. Both are fished using the technique described in Holshlags book using an indicator, the crawfish hop. I really like the Hairy Fodder its appearance and action is close to a tube and that was my big fish plastic lure this season. Holshlag Hackle Fly Hairy Fodder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael T Posted November 19, 2006 Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 The pattern that's been more miss than hit has been ANY crayfish pattern. Go figure. These have been the most productive: Double Bunny (all year) Zonker (all year) Meat Whistle (all year) Swimming Nymph (spring, early summer) Clouser (all year) White deer hair popper (mid and late summer) Mystery Meat Hopper (mid and late summer) I'm usually able to catch smallies on a few different patterns throughout the day, but there were 2 days where I would have been skunked if I didn't throw:Meat Whistle Drop Nose Minnow in chartreuse I threw everything I had each day, but it was the 2 above (and only these 2) that produced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie shard Posted November 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 Wow, great post Michael. Those are a lot of great patterns to tie and try! Michael has officially set the bar for a bassbugger arsenal! I haven't had great success with the DB... I think I need a different hook because I find my lure often is swimming completely sideways. Maybe I need to use a larger gap hook? Hmm, that reminds me. Have you tried tying the DB on a Meat Whistle hook? I used a grey over white DB with a dumbell eye and MW hook on the K3 this year... only caught one little guy on it, but it talked to me and granted me three wishes. It seems to fill a niche in my fly box: deep running, snag free, minnow lure. Anyway, thanks again! I'm looking forward to a winter of tying. -jamieS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asherman Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 The two flies that worked best for me this year for river smallies were a black on white clouser minnow and a white sparkle minnow. A plain old olive wooly bugger worked well as it usually does. I did well in Canada this summer using olive on white double bunnies. I couldn't get a bite on a meat puppet fly this year. Based upon my results this week, I need to spend more time fishing float 'n flies in cold water conditions, which is a simple weighted dark on white minnow pattern using craft hair tied on a jig hook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael T Posted November 28, 2006 Report Share Posted November 28, 2006 That's an odd thing it would swim sideways. Are both zonker strips the same thinkness? Is one a "magnum" and the other a thin-width? Are you gluing eyes onto the fly? Could it be the position of the eyes that are encouraging the sideways swim? I use a conventional streamer hook, #4 4x-long Daiichi 1750, I think is what it is. I tye the Meat Whistle on #4 or #6 hooks that are also a conventional streamer style, but they have to be 6x-long because I put a bend in the shank. I bend it about 60-degrees. I'm glad you've tied a DB with dumbell eyes. I love fishing that fly for the same reasons you've outlined. How did those wishes turn out? Jamie, we missed you at Monday's tying session. However, we had a full house which was cool! Hey MikeP, the Meat Whistle was a fly in a March-issue magazine. I can't remember off the top of my head which one, but I'll find out. It's a rather involved fly to tye, not because of technique, but that it uses a lot of material in many steps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamie shard Posted December 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 How did those wishes turn out? ... Monday's tying session... Well, a talking fish kinda shocked me. And the fish said, "You seem kinda shocked. Would you like to sit down and think about it for a while?" And I said yeah and sat down on the bank and started thinking about it. The fish very patiently asked, "Do you need more time?" And I said yeah. And it said, "Sucker! That's your third wish!" I rarely harvest smallmouths, but... I'm looking forward to the tying session! Work kept me away last month, but so far this month's meeting looks good!!! -j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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